Is DAC neccessary?

[Digital]

My current audiogame needs some upgrading: Steelseries 7H directly plugged in to motherboards soundcard. I'm going to invest in pair of Audiotechnicas ATH-M50x and tube amplifier (tubes only for the wow effect, I do not believe that I would hear any difference whatsoever).

 

Do I noticeably lose in the audio quality, if I straight on plug the amplifier to the motherboards integrated soundcard? Are they nowadays so "insulated" that external DAC is only for the real HiFi dudes?

[Max_Settings]

Do not get M50Xs, they are horrible headphones What's your budget for a set of cans?

 

[Digital]

6 minutes ago, Max_Settings said:

What's your budget for a set of cans?

 

Around 100-150€. What do you suggest?

[Max_Settings]

1 minute ago, Digital said:

Around 100-150€. What do you suggest?

Can they be open back? Or do you need closed?

[Digital]

9 minutes ago, Max_Settings said:

Can they be open back? Or do you need closed?

They can be either tbh.

[Max_Settings]

12 minutes ago, Digital said:

They can be either tbh.

Try the HD558.

[Digital]

27 minutes ago, Max_Settings said:

Do not get M50Xs, they are horrible headphones

 

You have some weird opinions on this thread. I just today was shopping for the headphones, and used an hour to listen music on different pairs of headphones. I wasn't really checking on the tags on every headphones I tried, and of course I was using online streaming (Spotify) and iPhone on the store - but the statements like "The M50x are the easiest headphones to run" simply was not true. I mean I had to lower the volume on some cheaper and more consumer grade products, but as I was checking the 100-500€ range products, I had the volume on full almost all the time.

 

Also I tested the M40x and M50x back and forth, and I honestly think that the M50x sound better and cleaner than the M40x.

 

In conclusion, I am no HiFi expert and thus rely only on my opinions and what I hear from the headphones. But the way you wrote that review is screaming that you want to force an unpopular opinion. I do not want the Audiotechnicas because of the brand, fuck the brand - I had no expectations to the brand. I mean you can't honestly think that they suck that hard (the 3/10 and 2/10 ratings literally everywhere on the review), can you?

[Max_Settings]

21 minutes ago, Digital said:

You have some weird opinions on this thread. I just today was shopping for the headphones, and used an hour to listen music on different pairs of headphones. I wasn't really checking on the tags on every headphones I tried, and of course I was using online streaming (Spotify) and iPhone on the store - but the statements like "The M50x are the easiest headphones to run" simply was not true. I mean I had to lower the volume on some cheaper and more consumer grade products, but as I was checking the 100-500€ range products, I had the volume on full almost all the time.

 

Also I tested the M40x and M50x back and forth, and I honestly think that the M50x sound better and cleaner than the M40x.

 

In conclusion, I am no HiFi expert and thus rely only on my opinions and what I hear from the headphones. But the way you wrote that review is screaming that you want to force an unpopular opinion. I do not want the Audiotechnicas because of the brand, fuck the brand - I had no expectations to the brand. I mean you can't honestly think that they suck that hard (the 3/10 and 2/10 ratings literally everywhere on the review), can you?

I don’t think you understood the slight sarcasm that was in the review when I said things like the easiest to drive. When I said that I meant they are so easy to drive they might as well be the easiest, if you have them plugged into a headphone Amp most Amps have a slight imbalance in the left and right channels when you move the knob just a tiny bit off 0%. The M50X is so easy to drive that they are hard to get your Amp out of that imbalance zone because they are stupidly loud at that point. And my opinion is not an unpopular opinion, any audiophile will tell you the M50X sucks. I meant every bit of the 2s and 3s. The M40X is a far superior headphone but it needs a pad swap to be good, otherwise it is quite bad as well. Also most people have a bias in their head they refuse to acknowledge where they think something is better just because it costs more or because it has a higher number.

 

The M50X is just bad, no sound stage, terrible imaging, incredibly grainy mids, terrible detail reproduction, a muddy sound, and highs that make your ears bleed. 

[EsaT]

11 hours ago, Digital said:

My current audiogame needs some upgrading: Steelseries 7H directly plugged in to motherboards soundcard. I'm going to invest in pair of Audiotechnicas ATH-M50x and tube amplifier (tubes only for the wow effect, I do not believe that I would hear any difference whatsoever).

 

Do I noticeably lose in the audio quality, if I straight on plug the amplifier to the motherboards integrated soundcard? Are they nowadays so "insulated" that external DAC is only for the real HiFi dudes?

What's the main use?

Gaming?

 

Tubes have sound because they aren't linear/precise and add their distortion to signal.

Is that signal quality degradation what you want to listen?

 

Overall integrated sound cards are huge magin better than 10-15 years ago. Though it's still case by case basis.

I've read complaints about EMI/interference even on luxury motherboards with all the marketing hype about how superior its sound card is.

And big gaming hype Asus even somehow manages to have weaker output than standard Realtek chip:

https://linustechtips.com/main/topic/938541-amplifierdac-for-beyerdynamic-dt-990-premium-250-ohm/

 

 

11 hours ago, Digital said:

  of course I was using online streaming (Spotify) and iPhone on the store - but the statements like "The M50x are the easiest headphones to run" simply was not true.

ATH-M50x is so freakishly sensitive (50 microwatts enough for 90dB) that I wouldn't wonder if touching plug's contact with some wire loop would give strong AC hum.

So if they needed high volume setting then it's genuine antenna/bendgate quality output.

Anyway stereo music is bad for testing full gaming capabilities.

[Dackzy]

I would also recommend K612, they are more detailed than 558, but also more unforgiving than 558. So flaws in music stand out more.

Ofc they are open, so sounds leak in and out. K612 also have a tad more highs and a faster bass that extends further than 558 bass. Though the sound signature of the K612 is more tuned towards "studio"/"monitoring", they are about as flat in their response as it gets in that price range, which may or may not be something you would like.

 

For closed headphones AKG K553 or K550 mk II/mk III are probably among the best in your budget, but you need the pads to seal with your head or else the bass takes a hard hit. They overall have a fairly balanced sound.

 

Also yeah M50 and M50x are pretty bad, the only people that love them are basically people that haven't heard any better.